Christchurch City Council supporting cultural diversity
Monitoring the cultural diversity of Christchurch
Our Metropolitan Community Advisers (including portfolios of multi-cultural, older persons, disability and youth) and Community Development Advisers help develop relationships and consolidate bridges between Council and community groups and agencies, including groups from ethnic minorities. Advisors also support a whole range of not-for-profit community groups to achieve their own goals and aspirations.
Check the demographic profile of the cultural diversity in Christchurch City in the Migrants Guide Report 2007.
The Council supports the Sister Cities Programme which encourages cultural understanding and interaction with local and international communities. It hosts Citizenship Ceremonies for the city's new New Zealanders on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs.
Regular training is held for Council staff on diversity and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Cultural events - The council supports Race Relations Day each year as well as other events in the community that celebrate ethnic diversity during the months leading up to 21 March, including:
- Culture Galore
- Christchurch Global Football Festival
- Chinese Lantern Festival
- Latin Dance Festival
- Inner-city Multicultural Festival.
Information for migrants - New to Christchurch? The Migrants Guide to Christchurch contains information important to new settlers in Christchurch, particularly in their first few years. The guide is translated into six community languages: Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Korean, Nepali and Thai.
Community funding for Community programmes- The Council has a range of community funding schemes facilitating the delivery of Community initiatives
The Council supports and makes contributions to some organisations and initiatives that support cultural diversity. These include:
- Christchurch Resettlement Services – provides social work, health advocacy, literacy and children's services for those from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
- Canterbury Fiji Social Services Trust– based at the Hornby Multicultural Centre and works with a range of cultural groups. Projects include after school and holiday programmes, a Samoan Elders group, a Fijian language nest, computer training, a youth group and an award wining radio show on Plains FM.
- Te Puawaitanga Ki Otautahi Trust (Otautahi Maori Women's Welfare League)– manages the Hornby Multicultural Centre and the Hei Hei Community Centre. Projects include waiata, harakeke and Kapahaka training, work with Rangatahi and a kuia and kaumatua lunch.
- Shakti Ethnic Women’s Support Group Christchurch
- A Christchurch Chinese Church Trust worker
- A Pukapuka Group (a Cook Island group working with children, youth, elderly to support retention of cultural and language identity, business, recreation and advocacy activities)
- Mato-Oi Cultural Group
- Te Ora Hou (a youth organisation targeting Maori and Pacific Island youth)
- Latin American Information and Resource Centre Inc
- Rewi Alley Chinese School Trust
- Russian Cultural Centre Trust.
- Community House – provides rent for the building which houses agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Council of Social Services, Volunteering Canterbury, Tenants Protection Association (all of whom support the ethnic minority sector) and some community groups (such as Latin American Informationand Resource Centre (LAIRCI),Russian Cultural Centre Trust, Christchurch Zhonghua Chinese Society, Network Waitangi Otautahi, and Te Runaka ki Otautahi O Kai Tahu).
Outward Bound
Christchurch City Council works with Human Rights Commission and Outward Bound Otautahi to support the Outward Bound Otautahi Southern Cross Course. This course aims to explore personal development, cultural identity and cultural diversity as part of an Outward Bound Classic Course. It is open to a culturally diverse range of Christchurch young people (18 to 26 years) who are not in secondary education and can take 21 days away from their family, work, training or education.
Check Cultural Diversity for further information.
Christchurch City Council and the Cancer Society
Culture Galore celebrating ethnic diversity
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- Everybody feels a sense of community belonging.
- All people feel welcome and safe in Christchurch.
- People can retain their languages and cultures.
Culture Galore is a multi cultural festival that provides an opportunity for ethnic groups in our community to showcase their culture. This is achieved through performing arts, ethnic food, crafts, games and language.
Culture Galore is a prime opportunity for the people of Christchurch to experience and celebrate the diversity of cultures that exists in our community. This event began in 2001 and is held in March each year at Ray Blank Park in Avonhead. This year there were approximately 30 stage performances from different ethnicities throughout the day and over 50 different food and information stalls from various countries and organisations.
Culture Galore now attracts an estimated 6500 people and provides a fantastic family oriented environment with plenty of activities for both adults and children to participate in.
This event is funded by the Fendalton Waimairi and Riccarton Wigram Community Boards.
Check Cultural Diversity for further info.
Office of Ethnic Affairs, NZ Police, Mainland Soccer and Christchurch City Council
Ethnic Football Festival celebration
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- Everybody feels a sense of community belonging.
- People can retain their languages and cultures.
The Ethnic Football Festival is a three day sports event celebrating Christchurch’s growing ethnic diversity and promoting participation and collaboration amongst ethnic communities as well as government and community agencies.
The aims of the annual Christchurch Ethnic Football Festival are to: celebrate the city’s cultural diversity though raising the profile of ethnic communities; for ethnic communities to form supportive social networks and establish a sustainable community identity; to provide an opportunity for ethnic groups to engage and participate in their communities and to share their culture; and to encourage and promote participation in football as a physical activity.
Teams representing ethnic groups from Zimbabwe, Korea, Nepal, Holland, South America, Germany, Russia, Scotland, Ethiopia, Egypt, Somalia, Afghanistan, Japan, Britain, Spain and Portugal, England, Romania, United Nations, Ireland, Greece, Poland, China and Fiji. In 2006, 5000 people participated in the festival as either players or spectators.
In 2006 the Ethnic Football Festival won a Highly Commended Award at the New Zealand Recreation Association Outstanding Programme Award.
Volunteering Canterbury
Supporting volunteers in Christchurch
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- Our voluntary sector is well supported and valued for its contribution to our city.
Volunteering Canterbury supports all volunteering, informal and formal - in whanau/hapu/iwi, in the voluntary (third) sector, the government (public) sector (local, regional and central), the commercial (private) sector (e.g. employee volunteering) and the household sector.
Volunteering Canterbury supports volunteers in a number of different ways, including:
- Awareness and Recognition - In association with Te Runaka ki Otautahi o Kai Tahu Volunteering Canterbury presents Volunteer Recognition Awards during Volunteer Awareness Week in June, and Youth Volunteer Awards on International Volunteer Day in December.
- Advocacy - Volunteering Canterbury provides an advocacy service for volunteers and for any voluntary organisation/project. They respond to issues arising in the wider community which affect volunteers by promoting discussion and lobbying decision-makers. A particular focus is on increasing the understanding of the definition of voluntary work, which is that it is done of one’s own free will, unpaid, for the common good.
- Support and Training - A comprehensive programme of low cost learning workshops and a personal consultation service are offered. Consultation includes free mentoring for Volunteer Co-ordinators and assistance with accounting, as well as support for Managers of not-for-profit non-government organisations and projects. The workshops are suitable for volunteers carrying out tasks, and/or those taking responsibility in voluntary organisations as well as for co-ordinators of volunteers.
- Volunteer Co-ordinators’ Network - Volunteering Canterbury runs free monthly support sessions in Christchurch, open to anyone involved in co-ordinating and supporting volunteers. Network members are encouraged to provide suggestions for topics for these sessions.
Further info: Volunteering Canterbury
Christchurch City Council’s New to Christchurch Guide
Welcoming immigrants and helping them settle
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The New to Christchurch Guide provides important information for new Christchurch migrants. The booklet and website provide information that helps make settling in Christchurch easier, including: getting around the city, opening a bank account, health and safety.
Importantly the guide is available in seven languages: Arabic, English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Nepali and Thai.
The guide was created collaboratively. The project was lead by Christchurch City Council who were assisted for the first edition by Christchurch Resettlement Services (CRS) and the Refugee and Migrant Centre (RMC), and for the second and third editions by community groups, individuals from various communities, and private translation companies. Printing and translation costs were funded by the Department of Labour through Settlement Support.
Further info: Migrants Guide to Christchurch
Christchurch City Council’s Ageing Together Policy
Planning and providing for older people
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- Everybody has access to excellent community resources and facilities.
- Our services respond to the diversity of our population.
- Everybody has excellent access to appropriate and affordable services.
Ageing Together, a revised older persons policy, was passed by Council in May 2007 to positively address the issues created by an ageing population.
The Council has recognised that it will need to address the consequences of an ageing population to enable it to realise its Vision, meet its Strategic Directions, the City’s Community Outcomes and the goals of the Government’s New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy 2001.
The Council has a role to support, connect, provide, collaborate and advocate with its community to ensure that Christchurch people are positively ageing.
The Policy’s seven goals will assist Council to fulfil its role:
access to information
access to places and services
opportunities for participation
education
understanding and promoting positive ageing
advocacy
collaboration.
By Ageing Together, Christchurch can ensure that its older people are valued and respected for their contribution to the life of the City, and are cared for and supported when needed. Specifically, and in addition to the many focused activities already underway, key objectives for the first year of implementation include:
